The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
ody go through this room or the hall just

Liza; she canned long the passage on her way
to her chamber. bout half n hour ago. l reckon
she will represent herself down n the parlor
pretty recently now. sab, too respectful for sig
nifcance, but so plainly in sympathy with what
he interpreted loverly impatience that the
querist's mouth closed in a smile.
He fingered for minnie longer. exchanged
sentence as to the probabilities of storm with
the sesquipedalan official fondled the black
muzzle the mastiff thrust into his hand, stirred
the sleeping kittens with his foot, and sauntered
back to the drawing room. heartily ashamed or
his reluctance to leave these lowly companions
He was more mortified by the queer chills and
creepings along his mental vertebra. and be-
cause OF these symptoms OF heretofore unsus-
pected weakness inclined to take himself ener.
getcallv in hand. To this end, he marched
straight up to the chair mysteriously occupied
and more mysteriously vacated by the surtouted
and booted stranger, passed lis hand over the
back and sides, and sat down IN 1t: he had
cool head for his years, and healthy nervous
system. Reviewing the incident that had tested
both, he decided that he had been the victim of
an optical illusion, freak of the brain or an at
tack of indigestion. what might not happen TO
a man of his active habits who sat over a big
fire for six hours love-making, with no Interrupt
ton except what was offered by one of Mrs.
Miliers famous dinners!
Shy's voice in the hall, coaxing and Gliding her
dog recalled him from misftted "reminiscences
of scientific explanations of wraiths and doubles;
of an old woman with a red cloak oniured up
by the overweight brain of one philosopher,
the elish figure in green that piroutted on the
dish of another of Luther's lnkstand and Dun
STAINS hot tongs--all Authorizations in the opin-
ion of Intelligent readers and thinkers. He
smiled foolishly in perceivine that he was actu
ally feeling his own pulse. AS well be supersti-
/ tious hypochondracal.
'What have you done to Tri1e?" said Shy, in
her clear eirlish tones as he opened the door
for her. ''He was 10th to come down with me at
all. A little while ago he scratched at my door,
and when let him in, ran crying and shaking
all over into the darkest corner of the closet
brought him down in my arms, but the moment
he heard your step he jumped to the floor and
| raced back rp stairs"
| They had been separated for half an hour. 1t
| was therefore necessary that John should wind
| his arm about the slim waist and bend his tall
head to the level of hers; then conduct her to the
| fire without Withdrawing the support. Still
standing thus he told her how the dog had
rushed past him and disregarded his call
81 suppose coal popped ont on him, " observed
| Shy. carelessly, nesting her head against the
| broad shoulder beside her. HE is lazy little
| scamp who can't be taught to keep away from
| the fire. How deliciously warm it is in here!"
| John Speed restrained her motion toward the
| great chair nearest her. He might-he had
forced himself to sit in the viewless COLLINS lap.
| Let it be sprite dyspeptic chimera, or lost
spirit. he could not let Shy take the chance that
| the thing might still be there.
Wont you play for met he pleaded in an
| swer to her surprised look Something low and
| plalntive, to suit the twilight hour"
The little form stifened very slightly She
| was sweet natured and not exacting. but in Ger
| tain circumstances girl takes some things fol-
! granted. Given-December cleaning in quie,
| country house, freight, and solitude deuX
with no danger of interruption for at least hall
an hour to come. and even music mad lovers
might do better than to commune through Bee
! thoven or Mendelssohn
| "Certainly!7 she replied with alacritv. II
would be much pleasanter than talking.
Evadng his deprecatory caress, and without
needing the protest it prefaced. she tripped over
| to the piano and dashed-foot on pedal-intc
| LA Cracovienne," the merriest waltz in her re
| pertoire.
| John Speed set his shoulders against the man
! tel. dug his knuckles into the bottom of his
pockets, and awaited erimly the subsistence O
the temper furry Their lifts" were few and
| slight, placable Shy always showing herself
ready to receive the apology he FASTENED to offe
| as her due This misunderstanding must die
natural death. He could not tell her that tn,
obfuscated brain or clogged alimentary appara
| tus of her future husband had begotten the ap
partition of dissipated gentleman 10 antiquate.
garb, whose boots were muddy, his linen soiet
| and his eyebrows parti-colored.
Gradually he ceased to hear the piano: thu
| bound and glide of the tuneful measures, thu
swift runs in which the theme returned upon it
going over what he had seen. or imagined he hat
heheld since. Shy slipped away to exchange thu
wine.coored cashmere for the blue silk tina
set off her blonde beauty yet NOR
more transparent. her wildrose bloom NOR
delicate, but he dwelt instead upon the swar
skin and fell glance of the stranger He had re
marked features and expression with such dis
passionate curiosity that the theory of menta
excitement seemed untenable. From what dis
ordered closet or turb:d deeps of fancy had arlse
an apparition realistic the bricks which h
trod, or the frost bitten box-borders he struc
at with his whip in striding between them? VIII
should an Imagination, hitherto healthy, hav
conjured I'D figure unlike any he had ever see
or heard described! And Trife-what ha
thrown him into panicg He shook himsel
loose angrily from the recollection, laid like
dead hand on his heart: of superstitions relativ
to the faculty of seeing ghosts attributed t
dumb creatures The dead do not revisit tn
earth in broad, raw daylight and on missio
in particular
II do think" broke in Shy, making all he
movements pianissimo shat her plant might b
articulate, this is the drauShtiess In tn
house! My fingers are like icices. and can fee
, a stream of air on the cheek nearest the fire.
sort chilly breath that makes me shiver a
over" piteous instrumental tremolo verife
the declaration "A windy night always give
me the blues!" she averred furthermore, with
sigh.
John Speed captured the icy fingers. sun
moned back the pink to the windward cheek, an
: but this IS depression.
Mr.. Miller brought home to late supper tn
Judge of the court and three lawyers, one youny
two dle-aged. His wife would have been su
) prised had he appeared with fewer guests. B,
;, the most elastic hospitality. in ante bellu.
Virginia, encountered barriers in the matter
sleeping places sometimes.
}, 81 say my dear fellow, you won't mind CAM
ing down on the parlor sofa for one night, wi
! your said Gervas, jr.. drawing his prospect,
brotnerin-law aside as bed time approached
!, ''You see Judge Bolton has rickety nerves
/ must have room to himself, with no clock
it. three pillows of assorted sizes under his hea,
and brandy and water within easy reach in cas-
$ of nightmare Mother looked blank as ne
slate when she heard he was here but told hi
a we would abdcate In his favor that we cou
!, sleep like roach in the bottom Of pond
wherever she might put u.s."
/ Midnight and the dying fire saw the pa
q stretched out on luxurious super structure
g pillows and blankets upborne by board hal